The Whale Museum

Location
Friday Harbor, Washington
Services Provided
Education and Advocacy
Their Work

Soundwatch is a program of The Whale Museum, based in the San Juan Islands of Washington State.  The waters surrounding the San Juans (and Canada’s Gulf Islands), known as the Salish Sea, comprise one of the most popular,  and highly trafficked, whale watching areas in the world.  The Soundwatch Boater Education Program was created to help mitigate the potentially deleterious effects of boat traffic on marine species, especially the killer whales (orcas) that reside year-round in the Salish Sea.

Soundwatch educates commercial and private boaters (at boat shows, commercial tour operations, citizen stewardship groups, etc.) via presentations and distribution of guidelines on responsible vessel operation.  The program also sends volunteers into the water nearly every day of the whale watching season: they approach vessels to offer information on the best way to enjoy wildlife without disturbing it, they monitor and report incidences of irresponsible boater conduct around protected wildlife and habitat, and their presence encourages better compliance with regulations.  Furthermore, Soundwatch vessels act as scientific platforms to collect data which helps inform changing guidelines to better protect the endangered orcas and other species.

SPCA International is proud to honor this program for its innovative efforts to protect orcas.

Additional Info and Website

You can donate to this organization by sending a check to:
The Whale Museum
P.O. Box 945
Friday Harbor, WA 98250-0945

Web site
www.whalemuseum.org